THE FLYING SQUIRREL. 137 
the body is most beautifully fine and soft. Like the eyes of all 
squirrels, those of the species under consideration are very large 
and unusually prominent, standing from the head like great black 
beads. They seem to be useful both by day and night. Light, 
even if it be quite bright, does not seem to be an inconvenience, 
and it is quite certain that they can see very well in the dark, as 
they leap about the cage and find their food in the darkest night 
as well as by daylight, and a light brought near them does not 
seem to affect them disagreeably. The natural food of the flying 
squirrel consists of nuts, buds, fruits and the like, but they are 
ready to at least taste of anything that may be offered them, and 
if it is anything that can be eaten the chances are that it will be. 
I once found one of them at my inkstand eagerly lapping the ink 
as if he enjoyed it greatly; pretty soon, however, he left it with 
sneezings, snifiings and grimaces of a most comical sort, but the 
*very next chance he had he tried to get some more. Salt they 
eat greedily and also sugar. Beetles they are very fond of and 
several birds’ eggs which I left in their way they devoured, shells 
and all. They are very neat in all their habits, keeping their 
faces clean by often rubbing them with the front paws, and the far 
of the whole body is always clean and in order. 
I am inclined to believe that the flying squirrel does not possess 
as much intelligence as the gray or red or some other species. 
Very few of their actions appear to be controlled by anything 
higher than instinct. They seem to be quite fond of each other, 
and lonely when separated for any length of time, despite an occa- 
sional sharp squabble over some article of food, but they do not 
evince much attachment for those who feed and care for them. In 
their rapid and noiseless flitting about the cage they remind one of 
birds, and their motions are as light and airy, but if disturbed in 
any way, especially when seated to enjoy a nut, they express their 
displeasure by a series of quick, sharp squeaks and in their quar- 
rels they scold each other in the same manner. When especially 
eager to get any food that is held near the cage they run towards: 
it with brisk chuck-chucks, at the same time shaking all over in 
their anxiety to seize it. More rarely they utter another sound, — 
a clear musical note usually melodious and pleasant but occasion- 
ally shrill. This sound very closely resembles the chirp of some 
birds, so much so that when the windows are open and birds sing- 
